The Last Will
by VA-Parky
Summary: A few weeks after the loss of his beloved wife, Vader returns to their apartment on Coruscant to retrieve Padme's final letter to her family. One Shot.


My muse visited me again - please let me know what you think!

**Summary:** A few weeks after the loss of his beloved wife, Vader returns to their apartment on Coruscant to retrieve Padme'sfinal letter to her family.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Wars, but I sure enjoy the heck out of it! The characters all belong to Mr. George Lucas.

**CORUSCANT - Padme Amidala's Apartment**

The pair of storm troopers flattened themselves against the wall and straightened their posture as they saw Lord Vader approaching. His black cape billowed behind him as he came to a halt in front of an open doorway. They briefly wondered what interest he had in the old Senatorial apartments but they let the question flow out of their minds - they had been trained well and had no desire to ever doubt authority.

"Leave me," his deep voice commanded. Turning, they hastily obeyed.

Vader slowly approached the doorway - he could see the scorch marks the blasters had made weeks ago when the troops had been given the order to 'cleanse' the building. They hadn't even attempted to open the door using conventional means, and for some reason that thought angered him.

Gathering the now-familiar rage around him, he stepped into the apartment he had once shared with his wife.

Gone were the precious statues and works of art Padme had so carefully chosen for their home. All that remained were broken shards of glass from their protective cases, strewn all over the ground. Heirloom blankets that had once graced the back of the majestic sofa were now shredded, their beauty no longer evident. _How fitting_, he thought darkly.

His insides clenched as he remembered their last conversation in this apartment and how distraught she had been.

_"Anakin, " her beautiful voice had caught in her throat. " I'm afraid."_

Seemingly in a trance, he turned and started for the bedroom. To his left, he spotted the kitchen, an untouched tray of spoiled food was still spread out upon the counter. He recognized it as Padme's ususal lunch selection, set upon a tray used daily by Threepio.

_She should have eaten... She needed to keep her strength up_, he thought vaguely. Then, a thin, sickly voice inside his head whispered, _What did it matter? You destroyed her hours later. _

Hisharsh breating was the only sound in the silent apartment as he entered the bedroom. With the exception of the overturned furniture, it was exactly as she had left it. The gown she had been wearing that fateful day was throw haphazardly on the bed. Her footwear had been kicked off hastily and had landed at an awkward angle. The closet door was locked in the open position and he could see where she had pulled out her travel clothes at a desperate speed.

_The last clothes he would ever see her in..._

Shoving those thoughts away, he started for the elegant chair laying on its side in the corner of the room. Reaching for his light saber, he started to activate it. However, before it could fully engage, his hand paused.

He could not bring himself to use a Sith blade in this place - what had once been their home. He had been the cause of enough violence and heartbreak here. Slowly, he replaced the weapon and in its place, took out a sharp knife.

Carefully, he worked the blade across the bottom of the cushion. Reaching into the seat, he pulled out a small box, his heart twisting as he remembered what was inside.

**THEED, RESIDENTIAL AREA - ONE WEEK LATER**

A knock sounded on the door. Ruwee Naberrie swung open the door, coming face to face with a small square droid.

"Is this the House of Naberrie?" the droid's metallic voice squeaked.

"Yes?" Ruwee replied.

"Delivery for you; please put your thumb print here to acknowledge," the droid requested. Ruwee complied, handling the envelope carefully.

With a cheerful whistle, the droid turned and streaked away.

Allowing the door to close, Ruwee returned to the kitchen. His wife, Jobal, glanced up at him, asking, "Who was that at the door?"

"A delivery droid," he replied, slipping his finger under the seal. "He gave me some sort of correspondence."

Jobal came around to stand next to him and gasped as he pulled out the single sheet of parchment. She recognized that handwriting. And judging by the color of her husband's face, he did too.

"Padme," she choked.

**THEED, RESIDENTIAL AREA - BACKYARD**

Ruwee cleared his throat as he looked at the sad, drawn faces before him. Jobal sat next to her remaining daughter, Sola, clutching her hand tightly. Sola's children, Ryoo and Pooja sat at her feet, curiously glancing at the letter he held in his hand.

Reluctantly, he cleared his throat and began to read,

_My dear family, _

_This is a letter I never wanted to write, yet the times grow dark across the galaxy and make it necessary. I am hoping against hope that someday I will be able to destroy this letter and you will never even need to know of its existence. However, in the unfortunate case that you are reading this, then I suppose my wishes have gone unanswered. I know it is difficult, but please do not grieve for me. My life has been nothing short of wonderful and I am grateful for every moment I was lucky enough to have._

_First, I must confess. Sola, you were right. Anakin Skywalker was much more than my protector. Upon returning from the Battle of Geonosis, we were married during a sunset ceremony in the gardens of the Lake Retreat. He has brought me such unimaginable joy - I can't even begin to describe it. I hope this knowledge does not cause you think ill of me, but instead brings you some peace knowing the love I was fortunate enough to have the last few years of my life. And that love was compounded by the wonderful news we received a few months ago - a baby!_

_A numb feeling spreads through me as I write this next sentence, but I know I must do it. Please, Mom, Dad and Sola - if something happens to Anakin and me - please take care of our baby. I know you will give him or her all the love a child could ever ask for, just as Anakin and I would have. And Ryoo and Pooja, I know you will be wonderful big sisters. I cannot imagine a family more willing to embrace the unexpected - and therein lies the proof of this family's eternal bond._

_I will miss you all, but I have faith that I will see you again someday. Until then..._

_All my love, _

_Padme_

Ruwee's eyes closed, tears slowly making silent tracks down his cheeks. Jobal wrapped her arms around him, tucking her head into his shoulder. Their memories raced back to a horrible day, just a few weeks ago...

**_NABOO - MAIN SQUARE - FUNERAL_**

_She looked so peaceful. Any moment, Ruwee could almost swear, she was going to open her eyes and wonder what all the ceremony was for._

_But she didn't. And she never would. _

_Haltingly, he made his way to the top of the casket and gently pressed a kiss tohis daughter'sforehead. For what seemed like the hundredth time, his eyes trailed a path to her pregnant stomach. How could this be? Had things gotten so bad for his daughter that she didn't think she could share this news with her family? Had she felt like they had deserted her? _

_He was afraid these questions were going to haunt him for the rest of his life. _

**THEED, RESIDENTIAL AREA - PRESENT**

"She was in love," Sola whispered.

Jobal smiled through her tears, "and married!" She felt a glimmer of peace in her heart, a feeling she never thought she'd feel again.

"She must have followed Anakin when he was sent to confront Vader," Ruwee said thoughtfully. "If only..." his voice trailed off.

"I know," Jobal sighed. She gathered him in an embrace, smiling sadly as she thought of her brave daughter, son-in-law, and the grandchild she would never know,"At least they were together..."

**IMPERIAL STAR SHIP - VADER'S PRIVATE QUARTERS**

"The envelope was delivered, sir," the droid reported. The hologram shimmered in front of his chair as the droid fidgeted, anxious to get to his next delivery.

"Very good," Vader replied. He raised his hand, crushing the droid instantly with the Force. The Emperor could not know he had retrieved his wife's secret files and forwarded the correspondence to her family. He would view it as a weakness and that was unacceptable.

He would obey his Master without question. Except when it came to Padme. That was a penance he could never pay, but would forever try.


End file.
